On the morning of November 18, 2018 local time, President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang met with the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldives at the State House of the Maldives.

Luo Shugang conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm greetings and best wishes to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, congratulated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his assumption of office as President of the Maldives, and wished that the Maldives will achieve new development under the leadership of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Luo Shugang expressed that the Chinese side attaches importance to China-Maldives relations, and is willing to make joint efforts with the Maldivian side to consolidate traditional friendship, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, well plan bilateral practical cooperation and advance the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, in a bid to inject fresh impetus into the future-oriented comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership between China and the Maldives.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked President Xi Jinping for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony, and expressed his appreciation to the Chinese side for providing long-term support and assistance to the development of the Maldives. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih noted that the new Maldivian government attaches importance to and is committed to developing its relations with China, firmly adheres to the One-China policy, and stands ready to strengthen bilateral high-level exchanges and further deepen bilateral practical cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to constantly enrich the connotation of bilateral relations.

At the invitation of the government of the Maldives, President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang attended the inauguration ceremony of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldives on November 17 in Malé, the capital of the Maldives.